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According to Znews, China Times reported that Chen shared her account of Cheung’s final hours on Monday, admitting she still carries deep regret. She said she believes Cheung’s passing was not solely due to depression but may have been influenced by other unresolved factors. Chen said she promised to help arrange the press conference but was unable to return in time as she was attending her son’s performance.

While at the event, she received word of Cheung’s death. At first she thought it was a joke, but once the truth was confirmed, she collapsed, recalling: “I cried until I couldn’t stand up, and my two sons had to support me across the street.”

Cheung died at 6:45 p.m. on April 1, 2003, after leaping from Hong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Chen said she has lived with guilt ever since. She added that Cheung was plagued by nightmares after filming the 2002 movie “Inner Senses” and once considered hiring someone to perform an exorcism, but his partner, Daffy Tong, dismissed the idea.

Chen’s remarks quickly went viral on Weibo, topping the platform’s trending searches. Many users expressed skepticism, noting that she has often revisited stories about celebrities during livestreams, possibly to draw attention. Her claim that Cheung was “haunted” was also criticized as unscientific and inconsistent with Cheung’s own views.

Others questioned whether the one-hour window between the alleged phone call and his death left enough time for him to write the suicide note that was later found at the scene.

Cheung’s sister Ophelia who had medical training, previously confirmed that he suffered from clinical depression. His partner Tong and close friends, including Taiwanese actress Brigitte Lin and Hong Kong actress Anita Mui, accompanied him throughout his treatment.

Cheung had long exhibited symptoms such as hand tremors and insomnia. In his suicide note, he referred directly to his illness, writing the heartbreaking words: “This year has been too difficult, I can’t endure it any longer.”

His manager Florence Chan also confirmed that many of his work plans had been cancelled due to his worsening condition.

Regarded as one of the most influential cultural icons in the Sinophone world, Cheung was celebrated for his debonair style, gender-fluid stage persona and daring screen roles. Over his 26-year career, he released more than 40 music albums and acted in 56 films.

He won Best Actor at the 1991 Hong Kong Film Awards for “Days of Being Wild” and achieved international acclaim with “Farewell My Concubine” and “Happy Together.” He was also one of Hong Kong’s best-selling music artists, with albums “Summer Romance” and “Most Beloved” each selling over 300,000 copies locally.

In recognition of his legacy, Japanese film magazine Junpo cinema named him among the Top 100 Foreign Actors of the 20th Century, and in 2010, CNN listed him as one of the 25 Greatest Asian Actors of All Time.

Chen, 66, is Heung’s second wife, and together they run China Star Entertainment Group.

Heung, 77, founded Win’s Entertainment in the 1980s before establishing China Star Entertainment, a Hong Kong–listed production powerhouse credited with helping to launch the careers of stars such as Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat, Stephen Chow, Andy Lau and Johnnie To, according to Variety. In 2022, the South China Morning Post estimated his net worth at US$1.2 billion.